TEMPE, Ariz. (www.TheSunDevils.com) -- Arizona State junior shortstop Dustin Pedroia had three hits and freshman relievers Pat Cassa and Zechry Zinicola combined to strike out eight batters in the final 3.1 innings to give the No. 21 Sun Devils a 9-5 non-conference victory over the Arizona Wildcats Monday night at Packard Stadium.

The Sun Devils improved to 24-11 overall with their fifth straight win over the rival Wildcats. Dating back to the start of the 2000 season, ASU has won 14 of the last 17 meetings. Arizona drops to 16-15-1 with the loss.

Freshman right-hander Pat Bresnehan (Sherborn, Mass.) was shaky in his first career start, giving up five hits and four runs in two innings. The bullpen stepped up to shut down the Wildcats with sophomore Erik Averill (Orange, Calif.), Cassa (Cypress, Calif.) and Zinicola (San Bernadino, Calif.) combining to give up one run in the final seven innings. Cassa (2-1) picked up the win with three strikeouts in 1.2 scoreless innings and pitched out of a key jam when he got Moises Duran to line out with the bases loaded in the sixth with the game tied 5-5. Zinicola earned his second save of the year with five strikeouts in 1.2 innings.

Arizona freshman reliever Brad Mills took the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year after giving up one run and three walks in two-thirds of an inning.

After the Sun Devils took a 1-0 lead after the first inning, Arizona used a four-run, second inning to jump out to the lead. ASU tied the game with three-runs in the third frame and both teams exchanged runs to tie the game at 5-5. Junior designated hitter Josh Asanovich (Gold Canyon) gave the Devils the lead for good with a sacrifice fly to right field to plate the go-ahead run. ASU would add an insurance run in the seventh and a pair of runs in the eighth to extend the lead to 9-5.

Pedroia (Woodland, Calif.) led the Devils going 3-for-5 with his Pac-10 leading 18th double of the year. Senior first baseman Nick Walsh (Alamo, Calif.) and freshman second baseman Joe Persichina (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.) each went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. The top four hitters in the ASU lineup combined to go 8-for-15 with seven runs scored and three RBI. Asanovich also had a single to extend his hitting streak to five games and stole two bases.

All-Pac-10 performer Jeff Van Houten went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI to pace the Arizona offense. Outfielder Trevor Crowe also had three hits and stole four bases to tie the Arizona single-game record. The Wildcats had a season-high seven stolen bases.

ASU out-hit the Wildcats 12-11 and each team left 12 men on base in the contest.

The Devils (24-11, 3-6 Pac-10) return to league action this weekend with a three-game series at UCLA this weekend. The series starts Friday at 6 p.m. and continues Saturday (1 p.m.) and concludes Sunday (1 p.m.) at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Game Notes:Dustin Pedroia recorded his 16th multi-hit game of the year and now has 261 career hits and 65 career doubles... ASU put a run on the board in the first inning for the 19th time this season... ASU head coach Pat Murphy used his 30th different lineup (batting) and 24th (defensive) this season... Murphy is now 32-15 all-time against the Arizona Wildcats since joining the program in 1995... Nick Walsh made his first career start at first base and Joe Persichina made his debut at second base... for the first time this season, Tuffy Gosewisch did not start behind the plate, with Joel Bocchi filling in... Cassa left the game in the eighth inning with a possible pulled muscle on his side... ASU stole a season-high four bases... tonight's game ended a season-high 25-game homestand, with the Devils finishing 16-9.